Chapter nine:

The two looking at each other seems to have helped as if seeing that the other is okay and that they aren't back in that horrible place. They take a deep breath before Papyrus begins the continuation.

"We've never told anyone this before but… When we were younger our lives weren't how they were in the stories we'd sometimes read. It was more like a living nightmare. We feared what even the next minute could bring about. Not even the night felt safe. The monster meant to be our mother killed herself when we were young saying that she was too ashamed of having had such worthless children that are worth nothing to society. That she no longer wished to even try to care for those that in the end are just worthless monsters. We don't really remember her name but… We were reminded of that a lot in yelling fits from the monster who was meant to be our father. His name was W.D. Gaster. He would come home sometimes smelling weird and those times he'd be worse than before. Those times were some of the scariest times. I hated when I could hear him going around hurting Sans or giving off intentions of hurting either of us. He didn't really care who it was and would go after us both."

"I knew what a nightmare it can all be so I would read to Papyrus at night after tucking him into bed to try to distract him from the horrors of reality. Hoping that he'd get a good night's rest instead dreaming about happier things. I was scared of what might happen to him especially when things began to escalate after the monster meant to be our mother died." Sans adds in as Papyrus completely opening up seems to have helped push Sans to also opening up and being reminded that Toriel has known him for a good while now.

"Spending time with Sans was one of the only things that made my life happy. I was just so glad to have Sans that I wanted to protect him but even if I somehow could properly control my magic at the time I knew I would be no match for that true monster. It didn't even matter if we hid because he would always find one of us in the end. He was truly terrifying and he made sure we were scared of him." Papyrus says as Toriel keeps them close as if trying to make sure that they remember that they are safe now. "So we just did our best to bear it and be there for each other. It was all we knew that we could do."

"He made us lie to other monsters about our injuries including the monster he would sometimes bring us to for healing. Though he only let us get healed by an outside monster if we managed to convince him or he decided that it was needed. It was most of the time when we found a way to convince him more than anything." Sans adds.

"I at first was terrified to leave my bed at night when I would hear him hurt Sans when I was supposed to be sleeping. Until one night I decided to get up and go at least look. I wanted to help Sans. I got there and I saw him looming over Sans who was laying on the broken table. Sans noticed me and… He cried…. He cried for me to go back to bed. We've cried to each other before but seeing it with him there like that hit me hard. I went over and pleaded with him that it was enough and he only said that we were lucky he was in a good mood. I convinced him to get Sans healed and he told us like every other time to tell a lie. Which we did."

Toriel keeps them close and lets them slightly clutch a part of her dress for comfort.

"Then one night Papyrus tried again but he wasn't as forgiving. He snapped that he was our father and that he could do whatever he wanted. Even though Papyrus was still learning magic mainly from me he did something crazy. He went against him snapping at him that father wasn't a title he has ever earned and that he was just a monster with a temper. That night he struck Papyrus right in front of me for standing up against him after trying to help me. He was slammed into the wall being knocked out for a little bit. Seeing that just made something in me snap and I did something even more crazy. With adrenaline, fear and anger pumping through me my magic felt even more powerful than I had ever known. Like a sudden burst of magic. I used it to attack as I kind of felt like something inside of me snapped finally. My body and magic seemed to act on its own and in a blast of magic aimed at him I ended up almost completely erasing him from existence sending him to some kind of void. Papyrus did wake up and see it but after it was done my stats became lowered to how they are now. We had to run grabbing the bags of stuff we had packed that night in fear that he might try to actually kill us so I decided we had to prepare in case we had to run. We got out just in time as the house also vanished into nothing. That was it. Everything else was left alone and it seemed like no one remembered our father. Or really us. Only we remembered what had happened." Sans explains.

"So we went off on our own doing the best we could and we looked out for each other. Sans was usually the one looking for food or trying to get money but I helped out as much as I could." Papyrus continues. "Then Sans found a way to earn money even bringing me to be there though I was usually doing other things while he worked. Alphys didn't mind either of us being there. Then he became a sentry and I joined him making my own station. I started to try to get in the royal guard hoping to be able to protect Sans because in the past I could only do so much."

"And we ended up where we are today." Sans finishes the story.

Toriel's heart just broke from such a story though she smiles gently and in an assuring way to them glancing from one to the other. "I'm sorry that you both had to go through such things." She tells them. "And though you will never be in danger of such a thing again you should never be afraid to talk to me about anything okay? I promise that you're protected and everything will be okay."

Papyrus lets out a little air before speaking. "You know. I feel better now that we've finally told someone who wasn't there."

"It does feel like a weight was lifted." Sans speaks in agreement and his eyes start to drift closed tiredly. "It's… Nice…" He drifts into sleep once Papyrus reaches over linking one hand with his brother.

"Yeah…" Papyrus agrees before he too drifts off into sleep.

Toriel smiles softly to herself. "Sweet dreams you two." She whispers and stays there deciding to keep the two with her. "Sleep well. I'll still be here when you wake up."